


Heartlines

by melliejellie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Autistic Tsukishima Kei, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Bliss, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Time Skip, cuddling so sweet it'll rot your teeth, they're all the best boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-21 22:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30028644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melliejellie/pseuds/melliejellie
Summary: Hajime moved in with his two boyfriends and has enjoyed folding himself into their warm, happy home. And even though he's still learning who he is with them, he still knows how to be there for the men he loves. So when Kei is having a particularly rough day, he knows what to do.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	Heartlines

**Author's Note:**

  * For [quasar_concept](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quasar_concept/gifts).



> Written for my buddy, Quasar_Concept! Thank you so, so, so much for trusting me with this idea!
> 
> *I am not on the spectrum. Quasar gave me lots of ideas and I, of course, kept writing with the idea that Tsukishima on the spectrum is still just Tsukki!

Hajime stretches his arms wide in their kitchen, yawning and running his fingers through his hair. It’s just after six in the morning. Kei will groggily be up in half and hour or so because it’s his early day at the museum, but Tetsurou is going to wait until the last minute to roll out of bed like he does every morning. Hajime flips on the electric kettle and skims his fingers over the tops of the various tins of loose leaf tea Kei keeps in a line on the counter—part decoration, part morning necessity. Picking one, he gets the well-loved glass teapot from the cabinet and sets three mugs on the counter. One for him. One for Kei. And one for Tetsurou that he’s always too late to enjoy, so it ends up being a second one for Kei.

The kettle whistles its little tune, he steeps the leaves, and he pours three cups of tea. He puts lids two to keep them warm while he settles in at their kitchen table with his breakfast and tea. Just outside their kitchen window, he world is just beginning to blink to life. Soon Hajime will join them on his morning jog and he’ll return to give more than half-asleep kisses to Tetsurou and Kei before they head their separate ways for the day. But for a moment, he’ll enjoy the quiet start to his morning.

On his way out the door, he pulls one of Tetsurou’s horrible tasting energy drinks from the fridge and sets it next to a healthy protein bar that Hajime hopes he’ll eat. He also spots the book Kei’s currently reading on the couch and sets it on their kitchen table close enough to where Kei sits that he’ll pick it up to read, but far enough away that he might not suspect Hajime put it there for him.

Tetsurou enjoys the obvious doting. Kei needs his to be a bit subtler. And Hajime will happily do whatever he needs to do for both of them because, while he’s not the best at saying how he feels, he shows he loves them through his routines and the quiet way he cares for them.

***

When he’s back from his run, there’s more lights on in the apartment and sounds in the kitchen. He’s grinning wide because the early mornings still feel as brisk as the depths of winter even though spring is well on its way and the satisfaction of a chilly morning run can’t be beat.

Kei couldn’t disagree more. Hajime peeks his head into their kitchen and sees Kei at the table, a thick blanket over his shoulders, slippers on his feet, and even though he can’t see it, Hajime knows he has an equally thick, warm sweatshirt on underneath. His headphones are on while he reads and sips his morning tea. The rush hour noise has picked up outside and while it doesn’t bother Hajime much this high up, this far out of the busy center of the city, he knows it can be a daily nuisance for Kei. For now, though, Kei’s content in his own little bubble and ignoring the world outside until the last possible moment.

Hajime thinks of how hard they’re working towards their goal of buying a house together now that they’re settled. Now that Hajime is truly a part of them.  _ Soon _ , he nods to himself, his grin slipping into something soft before he’s startled by a groan and the bedroom door flying open.

Tetsurou emerges like a zombie, head hung low, shoulders slumped, hair flying in every direction. He shuffles towards Hajime and raises his head just enough to get his morning kiss and then drag his feet towards the bathroom.

Hajime gives him, oh maybe five minutes today, before he checks the clock Hajime put in the bathroom just for this purpose and comes rushing out, eyes wide and legs carrying him as fast as possible back into their bedroom so he can throw on a suit and run out the door because he has the longest commute but the worst late night habits.

Stepping into the kitchen, Hajime waves a hand in Kei’s direction so he doesn’t accidentally startle him. Kei’s confident, clever, capable. But he jumps like a frightened rabbit if he’s too captivated by his book and either one of them dare to yank him back into the present.

It takes him a moment before he notices Hajime, but when he does a decidedly cute smile appears at the corner of his mouth and he slides his headphones from his ears. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Hajime hums and gently slides his fingers through Kei’s hair, bending down for his second proper kiss of the morning. He takes his usual seat opposite Kei. “You can keep reading. I don’t mind. I’ve got to shower soon anyway.”

“No, it’s fine. Today’s a busy day.”

The rest of that sentence is unsaid, but Hajime understands it all the same— _ Today’s a busy day and I won’t be home until much later so I’d like to see you as much as I can before I go. _

This was Kei’s apartment first. It’s within walking distance of the museum and a short train ride to practice, so they typically get these morning chats together, when Hajime’s schedule allows. Some mornings the teams need him first thing. Other times they need him to stay late, so he can arrive a bit later, like today. Tetsurou though—

They both hear the bathroom door fling open and Kei smirks, giving Hajime a knowing glance before he continues updating Hajime on the progress of the museum’s newest exhibit. There’s a few more minutes of peace before Tetsurou takes a deep breath just outside the kitchen and then waltzes in, dressed to the nines and looking as hot as ever, as though he wasn’t just running around the apartment. How he can look that good that in minutes, Hajime will never understand. But he will appreciate it. Greatly.

“Good morning, my loves!” Tetsurou announces with flourish before giving Kei and enthusiastic morning kiss and giving Hajime a better kiss than the still-asleep zombie kiss in the hallway. Though, if Hajime’s honest, the zombie kiss is always Tetsurou’s unique brand of adorable.

“I am only running six minutes late this morning, a recent personal best, and I will accept this as a win because I can make it to the next train on time if I run there.” Tetsurou grabs his energy drink and protein bar with a glance at Hajime.

“Good thing you wear sneakers,” Kei remarks.

“Nope.” Tetsurou gestures with the hand holding both snacks. “That’s just for fashion. Alright—” One, two, three more messy kisses. “I gotta run. Quite literally. Love you both!”

Kei and Hajime echo the sentiment in unison and then their favorite hurricane is out the door.

“And I should probably go ahead and shower.” Hajime starts to get up.

“You want Tetsu’s tea?” Kei asks, pushing the mug towards him.

Hajime knows the routine. “Thanks but I’ll pass. You enjoy it, though.”

He grins as Kei quickly pulls it back towards him and pushes his own empty cup away, humming contentedly while he slips his headphones back on.

Just a little over a year ago, Hajime’s mornings were much different. He woke up alone in his bed. He came back from his jog to an empty apartment. Everything about his life is so much warmer now, all because of one chance run-in with Kei at a tournament. Kei and Tetsurou walked into his life and, thankfully, never left again.

***

Hajime tends to be the first one home. Before he has a chance to melt into the couch, he likes to start and finish some chore that needs to get done. He likes the feeling of “setting something right” before allowing himself a bit of laziness in the evenings.

When Kei makes it home, whether it’s a shorter day at just the museum or a longer day with both work and practice, his rule is “bath first, humans later.” He has more responsibilities at the museum now and practice is demanding, so he needs a chance to reset alone in the warmth of a bath before he’ll join them and wind down for the night.

Tetsurou comes home exhausted, excited, or both. He clearly loves his job and all the opportunities he gets to promote the sport he loves, but it means he has trouble leaving work at work. He needs a reminder to calm down and rest. When a stern warning to “take care of yourself,” doesn’t work, Hajime’s found that a cup of herbal tea or a nice massage under Hajime’s practiced fingers will do the trick and Tetsurou will become the laziest cat in their home once he finally shuts off his working mind.

Tonight they’re all home and the sink is full of dishes and every pot and pan in their house because Tetsurou cooked tonight. A rare treat. He’s always finding new, exciting recipes to try but he knows nothing about keeping the kitchen tidy as he creates whatever feast he’s imagined. Hajime and Kei are the usual cooks in their little family, but earlier this evening Tetsurou came home with bags of groceries and enthusiasm written across his face. A kitchen full of dishes is worth Tetsurou’s wide grin and the way he presents dinner, loudly proclaiming, “A feast for my two favorite people!”

The dishes can stay there for a while. Whoever cooks doesn’t have to clean. That’s the rule. Hajime knows Kei’s itching to get in there and make it all neat again, but time lounging on the couch with full, happy bellies is important, too. This is one of Hajime’s favorite routines. If any of them work too late for it, he misses it and knows he gets a little clingier in bed that night when they’re finally all back together.

Hajime’s steeping a cup of herbal tea to help guide the livewrire that Tetsurou into slowing down while he warms the microwavable, heating pad part of Kei’s well-loved dinosaur plush he’s had for years. He can hear them chatting, their laughs floating into the kitchen and he rounds the corner into their living room, tea and dinosaur in hand.

Tetsurou tips his head backwards uncomfortably, his bangs falling onto the couch from where he’s lying in Kei’s lap. His eyes open wide and he holds out his hands with grabby fingers towards the mug in Hajime’s hand.

Kei spots the dinosaur in Hajime’s arm and scrunches up his nose in a subtle grimace. “I don’t need it tonight.”

Hajime sighs, setting down Tetsurou’s mug on the coffee table. “Yeah, but do you  _ want  _ the dinosaur?” He smirks, jostling the soft creature and making it wiggle.

Kei clicks his tongue and then reaches for it. “Yes.” He then presses the side of the plush into Tetsurou’s face making the other man cackle and wiggle free.

“If you wanted me out of your lap, you just had to ask.” Tetsurou laughs.

“Untrue. I tried to pick you up a while ago and you just went limp and laughed at me.” As soon as Tetsurou lifts his head, Kei holds the old, floppy dinosaur to his stomach and sinks back into the couch, eyes closed.

Tetsurou grins wide and scoots down the couch, making a spot between him and Kei for Hajime, grabbing his mug and taking a too-hot sip before he yelps and sets it back down.

“You never wait long enough,” Hajime chides.

Tetsurou just shrugs and settles down with his head in Hajime’s lap this time. “So what are we thinking tonight? TV or nothing?”

“Reading’s not nothing.” Kei peeks one eye open enough to shoot Tetsurou a look.

“Well, yeah, but I meant the TV kind of zoning out or looking at phones or the back of our eyelids kind of zoning out?”

Kei sinks back against the couch and Hajime reaches out to gently card his fingers through the fluffy, untamed hair he has after a bath.

Kei responds, “Back of eyelids kind of zoning out, but you can put on that documentary you were watching last night.” He yawns and closes his eyes again, leaning into Hajime’s touch. “It put me to sleep so quickly yesterday.” His lips curl into a smirk.

Tetsurou chuckles. “Rude. Not my fault you don’t have a proper appreciation for the work  _ our nation’s scientists _ are doing down in Antarctica.”

Hajime playfully smashes his palm into Tetsurou’s face, rolling Tetsurou’s head to the side. Tetsurou licks his hand and Hajime yanks it back, wiping his hand on his shirt.

With the soft, scientific narration in the background, they ease into their evening comforts. Kei’s eyes stay closed, his dinosaur held tightly against his chest, and Hajime slides one arm around Kei’s shoulders. His other hand is on Tetsurou’s stomach, their fingers laced together as Tetsurou keeps his eyes glued to the screen and comments on what the scientists are working on and connecting it to the  _ other _ Antarctica documentary he made them all watch last week.

Every once in a while Tetsurou will sit up and sip his tea, then he’ll settle back into Hajime’s lap and link their fingers back together. Gradually, Kei’s head starts to slip towards Hajime’s shoulder. When his head finally falls heavily against him, he shifts so Kei’s cheek has a more comfortable place to rest. Surrounded in the warmth of home, Hajime knows there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

***

Hajime wakes with the sun still low and dark on the horizon and rolls onto his back, ready to pull on some of the blanket Kei’s wrapped around himself during the night and recover Tetsurou like he does every morning—

But it’s only Kei in the middle of the bed. Hajime sighs, tapping on the animal-like light-blob Tetsurou bought him to use for ambient light in the morning. Hajime rubs his hands over his face and yawns. It’s weird when one of them is out of town. Tetsurou’s travelling on behalf of the JVA. Again.

He looks at Kei in the soft, amber light and his shoulders slump. Kei’s face looks anything but rested. This is a familiar pattern, too. Without Tetsurou and Hajime both there, Kei struggles to find sleep. He’ll go out into the living room and read or listen to music. Hajime wishes he would wake him up. He’s told Kei more than once that he wouldn’t mind being woken up to help. But Kei brushes it off because he has his own ways of dealing with things and never wants to bother either of them.

Carefully, Hajime tucks the blankets tighter around Kei’s body and is rewarded by a small, contended hum from his lips as his head slips from the pillow and into the cocoon of warmth. It’s not Kei’s day to help with the museum’s pre-opening procedures, so hopefully he’ll sleep in.

After changing into his running gear in the soft light, Hajime decides to bop the little animal-blob and shut off the light this morning instead of leaving it on. Usually he lets the soft light gradually guide both of them out of sleep as the sun rises, but today Kei needs the sleep. The rest of his morning is the same, though. Almost. He pulls three mugs down from the counter and wonders if he should go ahead and make Tetsurou’s since Kei is the one who drinks it anyway, but decides against it because it somehow makes Tetsurou’s absence all the more noticeable. But when there’s just two mugs on the counter while he makes his breakfast, Hajime thinks it looks lonelier than if he’d just made all three.

Before he heads out for his run, he makes sure the lid on Kei’s tea is secure so the warmth stays inside and sets his book back on the kitchen table after he scoops it up from the couch where Kei’s blankets are still rumpled from his sleepless hours there during the night.

The run helps clear his head. The animated cat gif Tetsurou texts him helps even more, though it’s just a black cat with its pink toes on display as it cheers enthusiastically. It’s followed by another message hoping that Hajime has “a morning run as wonderful as you are” followed by a ridiculous number of hearts. Hajime pauses his run in the park by their house to reply with a kissy face, only bold enough to be this kind of cute in texts. Tetsurou responds with a gif of a woman dramatically fainting with the message, “careful babe or I’ll fall for you again.”

So Hajime’s in a good mood when he returns home, body humming with the kind of energy he only feels after he starts his day right with a solid run, but the delight is short-lived. When he peers around the corner into their kitchen, Kei’s sitting there with his headphones, but he’s not reading. Instead he’s slumped against his open palm, head resting on the window with a half-drank cup of tea beside him.

Underneath that witty and sharp exterior, Kei is undoubtedly the softest one of them all.

When he sees Hajime, Kei opens his mouth to speak but only a long, drawn-out yawn escapes. The motion takes over his entire face as his eyes shut and his mouth opens wide when the yawn continues on forever. Visibly exhausted but smiling, Kei slides his white headphones from his ears. “Morning.”

Hajime leans down to press a kiss against his soft, still-ruffled hair before he greets him with a kiss and whispers across Kei’s lips, “Morning.”

He settles across from Kei and chooses not to remark on how tired he looks or remind Kei that he could have woken him up if he was having trouble sleeping. Kei knows both of these things already. Usually Tetsurou’s the first to sweep in with the perfect words to say to make Kei laugh, if not with him, then at least  _ at _ Tetsurou. But that’s not the shape Hajime’s love takes. Instead he offers, “Need another cup of tea?”

Kei shakes his head and motions to the tea growing cold on the table between them. “This is fine.” Their eyes meet across the table. “Did you chat with your gremlin yet this morning?”

Hajime gracefully accepts the change in conversation and smirks at Kei’s nickname for Oikawa. “Not yet, but I’m expecting his usual stream of texts whenever he gets back home tonight. That or the dozen calls I let go to voicemail.” Hajime sighs, knowing his forever friend is probably the whole reason he’s learned to be the caretaker in his relationships.

Kei gives him a sly look, looking more like his normal self for a moment. “You definitely do not let them all go to voicemail.”

Crossing his arms across his chest, Hajime protests, “I do. Sometimes.”

Kei raises one eyebrow.

“I do!” Hajime repeats, stronger this time.

Laughing softly, Kei grins. “Of all of us, you’re the one who talks to his best friend the most and you two don’t even live in the same country anymore.”

“I can’t help it if Trashykawa is needy.”

Kei nods his head, grin curling into a smirk. “Sure, sure. The gremlin is the needy one.”

“Maybe that just means you need to talk to Yamaguchi more.”

“He’d like that.” Kei wraps his fingers around his mug. “Are you going to be home at your regular time today?” In an instant, his sharp features are gone and he slips back into an expression that’s better suited to falling asleep on the couch than starting a busy workday.

“Yeah,” Hajime reassures. “Are you working late today?”

“No practice but I’m working longer at the museum today.”

The way he sinks into himself makes Hajime’s heart ache. He runs through the ideas swirling in his mind, all the things he could try to bring some brightness into Kei’s day. And his own day, too. It’s always quieter in the house without Tetsurou around. He keeps waiting for Tetsurou to burst into the kitchen and aggressively tell them how much he loves them before running out the door. “Should we eat something Tetsu hates for dinner tonight?”

“Impossible. He eats like an undiscerning garbage can.”

Hajime snorts and is rewarded with Kei’s smile returning at the corner of his mouth. “Well, anything in particular you want, then?”

Kei shrugs as both their phones vibrate. Flipping his over, Kei’s smile widens. He flips his screen around to show Hajime the message. Tetsurou sent them both a hotel mirror selfie with the message, “Tired. Wired. And wearing the hell out of this suit.”

Kei’s eyes linger on the screen and he says fondly, “He’s so stupid.”

Hajime couldn’t agree more.

By the time Hajime leaves for work, Kei’s mood seems to have brightened somewhat. As much as he enjoys doting on boyfriends, he knows Kei is more than capable of handling himself and his emotions. So he tries to shove the overeager need to help back down inside and leaves Kei at the kitchen table with another kiss before he heads out to face the day.

***

Hajime spends his workday scolding the less mature athletes he works with for not caring for themselves like he’s instructed— _ multiple times _ . But he works them back into good health along with the older players who, while more cautious, still push themselves more than their bodies can handle. Sometimes Hajime feels like the only adult in the room—a feeling not so dissimilar to his Aoba Johsai days—but he earns their continued thanks and ends his day feeling the satisfaction of a job well done.

But his phone’s been remarkably quiet today.

When he travels for the JVA, Tetsurou’s schedule is packed with back-to-back meetings and events, so it makes sense, but it doesn’t mean Hajime doesn’t miss Tetsurou’s silly texts throughout the day.

Kei has been fairly silent, too. He only responded when Hajime made sure that both of them ate lunch—only because he’d accidentally skipped it himself until much later in the day. They didn’t need to know that.

He hopes Kei’s been contentedly wrapped up in his work, like he so often is as the museum. Unlike Tetsurou, he’ll often go the whole day without texting only to come home with a big smile because he got to spend the entire day in the back of the museum, wonderfully alone, basked in stillness and the scent of old textiles.

After how worn out he looked this morning, Hajime hopes that’s the case.

On the commute home, he wonders which might be better—take-out as a treat or a home-cooked meal. He decides on take-out so there’s only a few dishes for them to clean up later. Once he’s home he starts a load of laundry as part of his coming home routine. And if he holds one of Tetsurou’s sweatshirts up to his nose and breathes in deeply, well, then that’s just his little secret.

He digs in the menu drawer and pulls out some of their favorites, knowing that Kei will say he “doesn’t care,” but Hajime likes to include him anyway. He narrows it down to two and leaves them on the coffee table in their living room and finally,  _ finally _ sits down for the first time in hours. Hajime closes his eyes and sinks into the plush couch cushions, groaning as he lets go of the rest of his day. He inhales a deep breath and is about to let it out slowly, but there’s a crash at the front door, a frustrated shout, the sound of keys scraping at the door, and then a bang as the front door swings open.

Hajime exhales sharply and freezes as Kei’s frustrated grunts to himself burst into their home. He’s immediately filled with guilt. He could have prepared something nice for Kei to come home to since he knew he started day on empty. He should have filled the bath. Something. He tries so hard to show he loves them both in his own way, but he can’t help but feel like he’s still missing the mark some days.

When Hajime slips around the corner to their entryway, his heart aches. Kei’s pale skin is marked with angry pink and red blotches. His entire body reads as angry, from the clenched fists to his grit teeth holding back ragged breathing, but his eyes are nothing but sad. Hurt.

Kei’s bottom lip trembles the moment he sees Hajime.

Hajime knows not to ask “what happened” or to give the annoyingly empty platitude “it’s okay,” but better words won’t come. He reaches out towards Kei, his own heart heavy, but pulls it back when uncertainty wells up in his chest. He nervously rubs the skin of his other arm and whispers, “Hey Kei.”

Kei’s eyes flash with something desperate, pleading. He looks like he wants help but there’s too much frustration built up behind those eyes to help now. The angry tears start and Kei viciously swipes them away, gives Hajime one last anguished look, then rushes past him to go into their bedroom and shut the door.

Hajime listens to him fall apart in private from the hallway. Kei, so stubborn and equally so strong. He waits to crumble until he’s alone and no one can see.

Hajime understands. While Tetsurou wears his heart on his sleeve, like Kei, he’s used to handling everything on his own. Gradually both of his boyfriends have been breaking down his sturdy walls brick by brick. Kei’s been there for him countless times with a perfectly-timed hug or a big blanket thrown over both of them on the couch. So that’s exactly what Hajime’s going to do now. He’s going to think of as many small things as he can to remind Kei he’s loved in Hajime’s own way.

Kei’s rough days are all a little different. Sometimes Kei really does just need quiet time alone to calm himself down. He knows himself best. But as capable as he is, Hajime doesn’t want him to do it alone, not when he doesn’t have to be.

***

Quietly, Hajime creeks the bedroom door open and peeks inside. The curtains are nearly drawn shut with only a sliver of the setting sun slipping through. Kei’s curled up on the bed, facing the wall, hugging his pillow close and burying his face into it. Hajime waited until the frustrated sobbing grew quieter, and Kei’s no longer as audibly angry, but it’s obvious he’s still not himself. Hajime watches his back shake with every watery exhale. He’s pulled a sheet over him but he’s shivering. Hajime steps closer, the big, cozy blanket from the couch in his hands, and gently drapes it over him.

Hajime knows physical touch would be far from a comfort now, but he thinks maybe a blanket would help, or at least calm the shivering. Kei shudders on a sharp inhale of breath and curls tighter into his pillow as the blanket falls over him. His head nearly disappears as he slips himself deeper inside.

Setting the warmed-up dinosaur plush on the bed beside Kei, Hajime says softly, “I’ve filled up the bath. It’s ready if you want it. I’m in the living room if you need me.”

Kei doesn’t answer. Hajime didn’t expect him to and he leaves, knowing he’s met Kei somewhere in the middle of how he shows his love and what Kei needs.

Back out in their living room, Hajime places an order from the one restaurant they like that delivers, picking out a bunch of little things that they both enjoy that’ll add up to a meal that hopes will feel a bit special. Then he flops back down on the couch to catch up on Tetsurou’s texts over the last hour. First there was the sea of his typical sappy goo mixed with gifs that only sort of fit the situation. When those were left unanswered, he must have tried to text them both separately because he has a string of messages addressed just to him.

“Hey Tetsu.” Hajime smiles to himself the second his boyfriend picks up.

“Hey babe!” Tetsurou makes some over-the-top kissing sounds that make Hajime groan with delighted embarrassment for them both.

They chat about their days for a while as Hajime closes his eyes, sinking into the back of the couch, and relaxes into the sound of Tetsurou’s voice. If he focuses hard enough on the sound he can almost imagine Tetsurou’s there beside him, going on about every little part of his day and peppering Hajime with questions about his.

“Is Kei not back from work yet?”

“Nah, he is. Just had a rough day.”

Tetsurou sighs. “Ugh, I miss you both, too. Enjoy travelling for work, but this side of it sucks.” Tetsurou’s quiet for a moment, then there’s a smile in his voice when he adds, “He sure loves hard, doesn’t he?”

Hajime laughs with quiet fondness. “He does.”

“Is he alright?”

“He’s Kei so—”

“Of course he’s alright, in his own way,” Tetsurou finishes. “Still wish I was there, too. Can we all video chat later? Before bed?”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Well, I have another press event soon, so I gotta go.” Tetsurou sighs again, but his tone is lighter when he adds, “Miss you.”

“Miss you, too.”

As they wrap up their call, Hajime’s surprised at how true that is. In a relatively short time these two have become a firm foundation in his life that he couldn’t imagine being without.

Talking with Tetsurou gives him a boost of energy, so he makes two cups of Tetsurou’s calming tea, puts a lid on one, and settles on their couch to respond to Oikawa’s string of texts that he must have sent as soon as he woke up. Typical. As if Hajime had asked to be the physical embodiment of Oikawa’s dream journal.

Hajime’s halfway through reading about Oikawa’s dream—one where he  _ actually _ went to Shiratorizawa but everyone was a shark except for him—when the bedroom door creaks open. He glances over the back of the couch to see Kei shuffling swiftly past him towards the bathroom with a blanket draped over him like a cozy ghost haunting their home. He lets out a sigh of relief, thinking that maybe he’s done a few things right, and he gets back to reading Oikawa’s description of Ushijima as a underwater monstrosity.

Dinner arrives while Kei’s in the bath and Hajime sets the kitchen table with two of their nicer plates, even though they don’t match, cloth napkins they use when company comes over, and the gaudy candlestick holder Tetsurou bought second hand with two uneven, nearly-finished unscented candles stuck into it. The final touch is two of their nicer glasses that actually match and seem a bit out of place on the table. It all looks nice in a weird, kitschy, homey way.

He leaves the food containers closed on the countertops so everything stays warm and he’s about to reach into one and grab a quick taste for himself when he hears shuffling behind him. Hajime turns to find Kei standing in the doorway, hair wet and skin pink from the bath. He looks emotionally and physically wrung out, but he’s here, and he’s meeting Hajime somewhere in the middle, too.

“Hey,” Kei says, voice thin.

“Hey,” Hajime echos, feeling his features grow soft at the sight of Kei just out of the bath. He gestures to the counter. “I went ahead and ordered some of our fav—”

“Can we wait to eat?” Kei looks so guilty when he asks it.

Hajime reassures him quickly, “Yeah, of course. It’ll stay warm for a while and I can always heat it up if we need to.”

Kei’s nod is so subtle Hajime nearly misses it. Then Kei’s moving forward with hesitant steps, still curled so tightly within himself. Hajime can’t read everything, but he’s learned to read this. He reaches Kei first and wraps his arms around him gently until he feels Kei relaxing against him. Kei’s head drops onto his shoulder and Hajime holds him like he’s precious. Because he is. His precious, stubborn, sharp-witted, hard-working, secretly sappy Kei.

***

The last of the sun filters through the curtains on their bedroom window and Hajime’s trying hard not to give in to the desire to doze with the warmth of Kei curled along his back and soft puffs of breath on his neck. Kei insisted on being the big spoon. Hajime hardly expected anything less. While he’d love to hold Kei close until the world feels a bit less rough around the edges, he’ll also happily serve as a human version of Kei’s floppy and comforting dinosaur.

Kei shifts behind him and Hajime feels his boyfriend’s forehead against his upper back. His voice is muffled in Hajime’s t-shirt when he says, “Sorry, I know you’re tired.”

Hajime laces his fingers between Kei’s hand on his stomach. “Never too tired for you.” He grins to himself. “Cuddleshima.”

Kei’s laugh ia barely audible, but it’s the most beautiful sound Hajime’s heard all day. Squeezing Hajime’s hand, Kei shifts again and moves his head back to where his words can whisper across Hajime’s ear. “I know that, but I’m sorry you both have to deal with me.”

And this, too, is familiar. Hajime’s still not found the right words for this, but he tries. “Neither of us think that way, you know. We both love you.”

“I know.”

“You sure?” He asks gruffly.

“I’m sure.” Kei buries his face closer and presses a kiss to Hajime’s skin. “Just frustrated with myself.”

Hajime’s instinct is to quickly ask “why” or remind Kei of all the reasons he’s great just the way he is. But he bites his tongue and waits, feeling the tension behind him as Kei forms his words.

“I could’ve gone to bed earlier. I should have woken you up when I couldn’t sleep, like you tell me to. I could have gone in later to work, or said ‘no’ when they asked me to cover the front desk. There’s so many smarter choices I could have made, sure, but this  _ thing _ just crawls out of me anyway. I don’t think it matters what I do. It’ll just happen.”

Hajime hums softly to show he’s listening and squeezes Kei’s hands inside his own.

Kei sighs, the sound shaky. “I hate it sometimes.”

Hajime knows he might never have the right words for this, but maybe that’s okay. Maybe there’s nothing perfect to say, so he whispers, “I’m here.”

Kei makes a small, weak sound behind him.

“I’ll always be here,” Hajime says, louder this time.

They fall back into a steady silence but Kei is anything but relaxed behind him now. He keeps moving his arms and his legs restlessly bump against Hajime’s. Holding Kei’s hands firmly within his own, he searches his brain for the small, but growing, library of ideas that seem to help Kei.

“Do you remember the first night I stayed over? Before we were all dating?”

Memories. Happy memories are good. They’re wonderful for Hajime, too, but for Kei and his rougher days, they seem to tether him back to the present, back to a place where he feels more like himself.

Kei makes a small hum of acknowledgement, but doesn’t say anything. He does, however, wraps his arms a little tighter around Hajime’s middle.

He takes that as a good sign. “That night we stayed out so late and Tetsurou said I could crash on the couch. I was so nervous, did you know that?”

“Mm, I knew that.”

Because of course he does. They’ve reminisced about that night so many times now, but it’s nice to relive it together. There’s comfort in this pattern, the slow back-and-forth of a story that is rooted so deeply in all of their hearts.

“That night definitely felt like a date. And I knew that, but I still had myself convinced that there’s way no way the three of us were anything more than friends. That I was just hanging out with my two friends that happened to be a couple. But—” Hajime purposefully stops talking to leave an opening for Kei.

It takes him a moment, and his voice is still not quite his own, but Kei continues the story. “I was nervous, too. Tetsu was in nervous his own way, I think, but he was so sure the way forward was just to barrel through.”

“Sounds like him.”

“Right?” Kei sighs and buries himself a little closer into the crook of Hajime’s neck. “And I knew what he was thinking. We’d talked about what we might do, but—”

And it’s Hajime’s turn. “Tetsu was the glue holding us all together that night. I was sweating more than I’d like to admit and was equally so awkwardly anxious and weirdly in love. Also more than a bit horny.”

Kei’s soft laughter dances across his skin. “The feeling was mutual.”

“So I’ve gathered.” He brings one of Kei’s hands up to lips to press a kiss to his skin.

Kei hums quietly. “My favorite part was waking up on the couch that next morning. My back hurt because we all folded in on each other while watching a movie, but I remember waking up and feeling,” he pauses, “good. Really good.”

“My neck felt awful, too, but I was too confused and happy to care.” Kei kisses his neck and Hajime carefully rolls onto his back so he can look up at Kei from their pillows. He had some nice words to say, felt them on his tongue when he started to move, but seeing Kei up close still knocks his brain empty so often.

So Kei speaks to him in his own language of love. He gently trails his fingers down Hajime’s arm and leans in to kiss him with a tenderness that still make Hajime’s eyes flutter shut. He kisses back, timidly touching at the edges of Kei’s hair. When Kei sighs into the kiss and melts against him, Hajime accepts the invitation to roam his fingers across the expanse of Kei’s skin more freely. The kiss deepens, but only just. They’re not racing towards anything. They’re not building to something more. This is comfort. This is connection.

Kei’s the first pull back and he looks down at Hajime with an expression with more life in it than before. He smiles softly and taps his fingertip against Hajime’s nose. “You know, Tetsu’s been sending me pictures of rabbits all day.”

Hajime grins. “Why rabbits?”

“I don’t even know. I don’t get him.”

“Me neither,” Hajime agrees fondly.

Kei lies back down and shuffles under the blanket until their legs are tangled together in an effort to get closer than they already are.

Hajime reaches back and runs his fingers through Kei’s hair. “Thanks for being you.”

For a moment, Kei’s body grows stiff and tense, but then he relaxes back into Hajime’s body with a happy hum. “Thanks for being you, too.”

“Do you need vent? Talk about it?”

“Not really,” Kei responds slowly. “Not much else to know. Just, the train home is what pushed me over. Everything was already too much, so of course the train was packed and people kept bumping into me. And it was so noisy, even with my headphones. And—” Kei’s voice trails off. His arms squeeze around Hajime’s body.

“You got the angry prickles,” Hajime adds, remembering the term Kei used when he was little and still uses today. At first Hajime wondered why Kei used such an overly adorable word for a thing that genuinely caused him so much stress. But it made sense once he learned that Kei uses a cute word because, once the worst of this consuming feeling has passed, it helps steal some of its power away.

“Yeah,” Kei murmurs, “angry prickles.”

“Are they gone now?”

“Mostly.”

“I’m sorry you had a rough day, firefly.”

Kei inhales sharply and then a slender finger pokes into Hajime’s skin. “That name is sneaky.”

“Why? Because it makes you all gooey?” Hajime teases.

“I don’t get gooey.” Kei pokes hard at the center of Hajime’s stomach. “I just don’t have anything as embarrassing to call you back.”

“I like when you call me ‘Hajime.’”

Kei clicks his tongue. “But that’s just your name. And I say it all the time.”

“Still like it.” Hajime says with a grin.

“Anyway,  _ Hajime _ , my day’s not so rough anymore.” Kei’s cheek press against Hajime’s back as those long arms tighten around his middle.

“But I bet you could use another five minutes in bed before dinner.”

Kei nods against the back of Hajime’s t-shirt and mutters, “More like ten.”

“Take all the time you need. I’m still right here.”

***

Tetsurou’s home again and everything feels a bit more complete.

Hajime and Kei are enjoying some quiet relaxation on the couch when Tetsurou bursts out of the bathroom, hair wild from his clumsy towel drying. He grabs the bag of gifts he dropped outside their bedroom door and flops himself down on top of both of them on the couch, presenting the bag with a big smile. His head’s in Kei’s lap so Hajime bears the weight of the rest of their giant, cuddly cat.

Tetsurou’s shirt rides up and Hajime can’t stop himself from tickling along his sides.

Tetsurou laughs and squirms away. “Fine.” He glares at Hajime. “No treats for you. Kei gets your share.”

Kei makes an dramatic sigh and gently cards his fingers through Tetsurou’s messy hair, the other hand caressing his cheek. “Oh Tetsu, I need nothing but your love.” He barely manages the phrase before he’s starting to laugh. “There is something strawberry flavored in there, right?”

“Of course, my firefly,” Tetsurou responds, equally as dramatic.

Kei blushes furiously at the nickname but tries to play it off. “Ah, good. Then yes, I require your love and Hajime’s share of presents.” Kei moves to grab at the bag but Tetsurou pulls it away.

Tetsurou tilts his head to better look at Hajime. “I could never. You get goodies, too.”

“I didn’t even say anything.” Hajime rolls his eyes, but he grins.

“You looked so pitiful,” Tetsurou says, jutting out his bottom lip.

“I did not.”

“I’ll hand-feed you your desserts as an apology.”

Kei laughs while Hajime’s face twists into a grimace. “I don’t want that! I don’t know where your hands have been.”

“I was  _ just _ in the bath.”

“You still can’t hand-feed me.”

“I’ll gladly accept the royal treatment, Tetsu,” Kei adds with a smirk.

Together they snack on the sweets that Tetsurou brought back for them to share. Hajime lets Tetsurou hand-feed him one. Only one. Kei doesn’t seem to have any problems with being fed as long as there’s a sweet, strawberry filling involved.

When Tetsurou pulls their last two presents out of the bag, it’s Kei’s turn to pull a face while Hajime laughs. There’s three matching, horrendously bright souvenier t-shirts with the city’s mascot on them in various poses. Hajime slips his on over his shirt just to see Tetsurou’s face light up. Kei makes gagging sounds, but he quietly puts his on, too.

Tetsurou stays put across both of their laps and together they laugh and talk about anything that crosses their minds. It’s less about what they say and more about the simple joy of being back together.

“You know, it’s occured to me, Tetsu, that Hajime doesn’t have an embarrassing nickname,” Kei mentions after a while

“Like ‘firefly?’”

Kei scrunches up his face and groans. “Yeah, like  _ that one _ .”

“Tetsu doesn’t have one either!” Hajime interjects.

“But you, like,  _ just  _ called me Tetsu.”

“That name’s not embarrassing either,” Kei notes. “Oh!” He grins, narrowing his eyes at Tetsurou. “I used to call you ‘alleycat.’ Should we bring that back?”

Tetsurou’s eyes widen in shock and he shakes his head.

“Or long cat,” Hajime snickers, running his hand down Tetsurou’s thigh.

“You  _ know _ I like dogs better,” Tetsurou pouts.

“True, but you  _ are  _ a cat. In your soul,” Hajime replies.

Kei nods in agreement, looking smug.

“Fine, anything with ‘cat’ in it is alright with me, but Hajime is still just ‘Hajime.’”

“You call be ‘babe.’”

Tetsurou seems to consider this for a moment before he rejects it. “Not special enough.”

Two sets of eyes meet Hajime’s. His heart rate picks up the more Kei’s and Tetsurou’s lips curl into eerily similar smirks.

“Could call you ‘Iwa-chan,’” Tetsurou suggests.

“Please, god, no,” Hajime groans.

Kei clicks his tongue. “Your kanji don’t give us much to work with.”

“Not like our little firefly.” Tetsurou giggles and Kei flicks him playfully on the forehead.

Kei shoots Hajime a look. “We’ll think of something good.”

“Something worse than ‘alleycat’ but way more adorable.” Tetsurou points at him with determination.

Hajime smiles, the last of his silly pride giving way to soft sincerity. “You’ll both think of something perfect.”

The change in his tone seems to surprise the other two and Hajime revels in his small victory before they’re back to chatting about nothing just to hear one another’s voices. Eventually, they turn the TV on and start to wind down before bed.

Suddenly Kei shuts his book and stares at Hajime. “I got it. If Tetsu’s a cat, then you’re definitely our big, sweet puppy.”

Tetsurou gasps, reaching up to hold Hajime’s cheeks in his hands. “Puppy! It’s perfect.”

Kei lean towards him and presses a kiss to Hajime’s forehead.

And all Hajime can think is,  _ yeah, this is perfect. _

**Author's Note:**

> This started shorter and grew so long as I fell in love with these three together. I got started with too much domestic joy and then I just couldn't stop. These three would work so well together, wouldn't they? So much support between them all and their personalities compliment one another, I think.
> 
> Also, besides this, there's only one other fic with them...in Spanish...from 2017...iwakrtsk deserve some love!
> 
> Comments, kudos, and bookmarks make me smile! (And I always reply to comments...even if it takes me a while!)
> 
> Chat with me on Twitter - [@HeyMellieJellie](https://twitter.com/HeyMellieJellie). I scream about haikyuu a lot.


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